Educational attainment, positive psychological mediators, and resources for health and vitality in older adults

被引:52
作者
Murrell, SA [1 ]
Salsman, NL [1 ]
Meeks, S [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Louisville, Dept Psychol & Brain Sci, Louisville, KY 40292 USA
关键词
education; positive affect; health; vitality;
D O I
10.1177/0898264303256198
中图分类号
R4 [临床医学]; R592 [老年病学];
学科分类号
1002 ; 100203 ; 100602 ;
摘要
Objectives: To further explain the relationship of education to health by a prospective examination of positive psychological states as mediators. Furthermore, to examine the resources of desirable events, self-esteem, and social support as possible mediators between positive psychological states and subsequent health and vitality. Methods: Four in-home interviews were conducted at 6-month intervals with a probability sample of 1,277 older adults (aged 55 and older); multiple regression was used to estimate mediating effects. Results: Positive states mediated the education relationship to both symptoms and vitality, independent of negative states; the resource measures did not mediate the positive state-health relationship. Discussion: Higher education level appears to increase the likelihood of being serene and happy, and healthy and vital, in later years; positive psychological states appeared to have both a promotion function (for vitality) and protective function (against health symptoms); self-esteem showed promise as a possible mediator of the effects of psychological states on health.
引用
收藏
页码:591 / 615
页数:25
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